Auditor General uncovers more unauthorised Gov’t spending as Ksh.16B loan to KQ ‘missing’
As the probe into how the government withdrew
Ksh.147 billion without the National Assembly approval, more revelations are
emerging about unauthorised spending in the first year of the Kenya Kwanza
administration.
An Audit query by the Auditor General has
revealed how billions of shillings were extended as loan to Kenya Airways
without any paperwork authorising the disbursement, or opening of a government
of Kenya loan designated account, to which the funds could have been repaid.
The shadowing lending of Ksh.16.2 billion from
Treasury and its spending could not be tracked as Kenya Airways irregularly
mixed the funds with Kenya Airways PLC assets.
In the Ministry of Education, the Ksh.4 billion
additional funding allocated to the State Department for Early Learning and
Basic Education for the Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project (SEQIP)
in November 2022 is also in question.
This after it emerged that classes under the
project had not been completed and were therefore not in use.
In addition, some classes had been completed
but had not yet been handed over, while some had stalled and laboratories were
also incomplete.
In the Ministry of Energy, a Ksh.2.2 billion allocation
for stabilization of refined petroleum pump prices paid as administration costs
for the period ended June 30, 2023 has been flagged in the Auditor' report, as
there was no justification for including the stabilization administration costs
in the pump price build up.
The Auditor General has also tasked the
Eastern and South African Trade Development Bank and Africa-Export Import Bank
to provide evidence of received monies from Treasury for purchase of shares
amounting to Ksh.6.3 billion.
The Auditor General wants the two banks to
provide evidence that money was deposited into their respective bank accounts
and also display share certificates of the same at the time of transaction.
Nyamira Senator Okong'o Omogeni has urged the
President to account for the Ksh.147 billion which was withdrawn and spent by
the government in the financial year 2022/2023 without the National Assembly
approval under Article 223 of the Constitution.
The article allows Treasury to spend within
10 per cent range of ministries and departments budget item and seek approval
later from Parliament.
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